London Mayor Introduces Stop-And-Frisk Knife Searches

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has implemented a series of sweeping new knife control measures in the city. The new policies aim to curtail a surge in knife-related crime in London, and Khan promises further action in the future. In a tweet yesterday, Khan made his position clear: “No excuses: there is never a reason to carry a knife. Anyone who does will be caught, and they will feel the full force of the law.”

Khan’s mandates will increase general police activity in specific parts of London identified as having high knife and weapon violence. Over the weekend, 300 Metropolitan Police officers patrolled these high-crime areas to crack down on violent crime. These patrols used aggressive stop and frisk procedures on anyone suspected of carrying a knife.

Additionally, a new 120-man task force from the Metropolitan Police was specifically charged with finding and stopping weapon-based violence. Funds totaling $150 million dollars will be fed into the Metropolitan Police department to strengthen these initiatives.

These actions point to long-term issues for knife users in the UK. Home Secretary Amber Rudd has been vocal in her support of knife control in the past. Ms. Rudd is expected to announce an Offensive Weapons Bill that will include the home delivery ban among other possible knife control measures. The threat of a ban on home delivery for knives has been looming over UK knife owners for a while now.

Under such a proposal, knife buyers would need to pick up their packages from the post office in order to prove they are of age to own cutlery. Khan’s renewed attention on the subject of knife violence points toward an aggressive attitude to anti-knife legislation. He has scheduled a summit on the subject, as well as on the spate of acid-related attacks in London, set to take place on Tuesday, April 10th.

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